ames won't get you anything, Gilbert. I'm not afraid of
anything you could do to me, anyway. I may be a pup, but I'm where I can
make you sit up and beg, and I'm going to do it."

"You think you are," said Don contemptuously. "Let me tell you now that
I'd rather be fired a dozen times than make any bargains with a common
skunk like you!"

"That means you want me to go ahead and tell Josh, does it?"

"It means that you can do anything you want to, Walton." Don stood up.
"But if you do go to faculty with the story you'll get the worst licking
you ever had or heard of, and fellows will make it so unpleasant here
for you that you won't stay much longer than I do. Now _you_ think it
over!"

"What fellows say or think won't hurt me a mite, thank you, and I'm not
afraid of you or any of your friends, Gilbert. Wait a minute now. We're
not through yet."

"I am, thanks," replied Don, moving toward the door.

"Oh, no you're not. You may feel heroic and all that and too mad to give
in just now, but you're not considering what it will mean if you make me
squeal to faculty. Why, we wouldn't have a ghost of a show with
Claflin!"

"I thought you considered yourself quite as good a guard as me, Walton,"
answered Don.

"I do, old man. But I don't think I'm able to take the places of all the
other fellows who would be missing from the team."

Don turned, with his hand on the door-knob, and stared startledly.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"I thought that would fetch you," chuckled Harry. "I mean that you're
not the only one who would quit the dear old school, Gilbert. You
haven't forgotten, I suppose, that there were three other fellows mixed
up in the business?"

"No, but faculty would have to know more than I'd tell them before
they'd find out who the others were."

"Oh, you wouldn't have to tell them, old man."

"Meaning you would? You don't know, Walton."

"Don't I, though? You bet I do! I know every last one of them!"

"You told me----"

"Oh, I let you think I didn't, Gilbert. No use telling everything you
know."

"I don't believe it!" But, in spite of the statement, Don did believe it
and was trying to realise what it meant. .

"Don't be a fool! Why wouldn't I know? If I could see you why couldn't I
see Clint Thayer and Tim Otis and Tom Hall? You were all as plain as
daylight. Of course, Tom's out of it, anyway, but I guess losing a left
tackle and a right half-back a week before the game would put ra